Is it really that much harder, though? I assume that if you Ghost, you just go do all the main objectives and leave. You don't try to get everywhere and loot everything, and there are easy, undetectable paths to every main objective that I've seen so far.

Let me rephrase: if you try to collect all the loot and read all the books/notes without killing or incapacitating anyone, it is significantly harder. I basically played the game like Thief so I did all of the above. If you don't care about any of the optional stuff and just go straight for the objectives, then ghosting is pretty easy (in Dishonored, at least).

Jerykk wrote on Dec 10, 2012, 23:17:My greatest complaint of Dishonored is that it doesn't recognize the difference between ghosting and non-lethal stealth. Functionally, knocking someone out is the same as killing them. You're still neutralizing a threat and making it easier to sneak around.

You gotta be careful where you stash the bodies, though. Rats may come by and eat the body, and I'm pretty sure the game counts that as a kill towards you.

Conversely, ghosting (no kills and no knockouts) leaves all threats active at all times, making it much harder to sneak around. Ghosting is significantly harder than non-lethal stealth and should be recognized as such. I think Mark of the Ninja is the only game to make that distinction thus far.

Is it really that much harder, though? I assume that if you Ghost, you just go do all the main objectives and leave. You don't try to get everywhere and loot everything, and there are easy, undetectable paths to every main objective that I've seen so far.

Quinn wrote on Dec 10, 2012, 19:07:I can only say it's a good and logical decision to be that kind of Corvo, Creston. Clearly there's been put more attention in that kind of Corvo than the passivist Corvo. I'm done elaborating on that matter because there are fanboys out here that go nuts to the point they twist my words and deny facts in the process.

Good for you the game has grown on you. Didn't happen for me

I don't know if that's the way they intended for a player to play him, though he does seem pretty heavily skewed towards conflict. I reckon it wouldn't change my playstyle too much, as I now sneak up behind guards and murder them where otherwise I'd just knock them out. Though with that power that turns them into ashes, I at least don't have to spend hours hauling frakking bodies around. (BEST.POWER.EVER!)

One thing that really annoys me is that even upgraded spring traps will not kill a guard and his patrolling dog. It's a cluster bomb. How does it NOT kill the dog?? :\

Quinn wrote on Dec 10, 2012, 19:07:I can only say it's a good and logical decision to be that kind of Corvo, Creston. Clearly there's been put more attention in that kind of Corvo than the passivist Corvo. I'm done elaborating on that matter because there are fanboys out here that go nuts to the point they twist my words and deny facts in the process.

Good for you the game has grown on you. Didn't happen for me

We've been through this before. There are an equal number of non-lethal abilities and lethal-abilities. In that regard, the game isn't catered towards one approach or the other. In terms of level design and story, you could argue that the game punishes lethal players since they have to face more enemies and they get the pessimistic ending. However, in terms of core mechanics, both styles are equally viable.

My greatest complaint of Dishonored is that it doesn't recognize the difference between ghosting and non-lethal stealth. Functionally, knocking someone out is the same as killing them. You're still neutralizing a threat and making it easier to sneak around. Conversely, ghosting (no kills and no knockouts) leaves all threats active at all times, making it much harder to sneak around. Ghosting is significantly harder than non-lethal stealth and should be recognized as such. I think Mark of the Ninja is the only game to make that distinction thus far.

Been playing it quite a bit lately. That levels are split into small chunks, and that reloading after death is instantaneous, makes this a ton of fun whereas it easily could have been a chore. I die a ton, but I always feel as if I messed up (initially most deaths due to overestimating the AI and assuming they'd have concerns about walking over the brains of the guy walking behind them.) I've had very few deaths that I felt were due to anything other than my own fault

Dunno how it sold but I finished it and it was fucking awesome. The music itself makes the game worth playing, but the sheer brilliance in gameplay and twisted presentation are what hold you.

I can only say it's a good and logical decision to be that kind of Corvo, Creston. Clearly there's been put more attention in that kind of Corvo than the passivist Corvo. I'm done elaborating on that matter because there are fanboys out here that go nuts to the point they twist my words and deny facts in the process.

I agree, the first level was easily the weakest. Think my favorite was raiding the overseers house.

I just made it to the Golden Cat level, and am about 9 or so hours in, though I'm terribly tempted to start over as I missed a damn bone charm (ARGH!), and I hate missing stuff. I guess I'll get it next time.

Been playing the "Fuck this city and everyone in it" Corvo who murders anything that walks, unless it can give him missions and loot.

Not too fond of the assassins in the Golden cat level though, especially since it's light, so they see me from a fucking mile away.

Been playing it quite a bit lately. That levels are split into small chunks, and that reloading after death is instantaneous, makes this a ton of fun whereas it easily could have been a chore. I die a ton, but I always feel as if I messed up (initially most deaths due to overestimating the AI and assuming they'd have concerns about walking over the brains of the guy walking behind them.) I've had very few deaths that I felt were due to anything other than my own fault.

That depends on publisher and game. For instance, skyrim is still listing for $60 (although its had a few 50% off sales, it still took quite a while from release to do so).

I still thought it was pretty cool of Bethesda to discount it by 40% at the Steam Christmas Sale last year when it had just come out, they could've easily kept it at $60. In the case of Skyrim I think demand is just that nuts, they are selling so many at $60 that there is no incentive to lower it. Bethesda seems to lower other titles prices pretty reasonably.

EA is a publisher who tries to keep game prices high though and the hilarious thing is that they do it at the low end quite often. I remember seeing ME1 for $20 on Origin awhile back and thinking WTF. I remember an interview where they claimed that sales devalue game IP which I think is a total crock.

That depends on publisher and game. For instance, skyrim is still listing for $60 (although its had a few 50% off sales, it still took quite a while from release to do so). MW3 really only had significant sales after BO2 came out from what I've seen.

Quinn wrote on Dec 10, 2012, 05:34:The beef with FarCry 3 is the shear lack of motivation to do anything else other than the main quest.

That's pretty much the theme of most of the complaints about that game. While it is fun and looks great, there is really not much reason or motivation to go explore because the game hands you everything very early on. I might pick it up on one of the Steam sales but I am no hurry. New game prices drop pretty drastically shortly after release these days.

The beef with FarCry 3 is the shear lack of motivation to do anything else other than the main quest.

For relatively little money you are able to buy your favorite weapon, or wait for it to unlock for free by capturing radar towers. Within the first 2 hours I bought myself what I think is the best sniper rifle ingame, attachments included. A few hours later I hunted enough animals to upgrade my rucksack and wallet. I don't have to do the sidequests and hunting quests for the money, so what's truly left for me to do other than the main quest? Explore? Why? To find more money?

Far Cry 2 did that part better. Only by collecting enough diamonds you were able to buy and UNLOCK weapons in the safehouse. In Far Cry 3 you can buy the best weapon from the get-go, provided you continued to loot every corpse and chest you could for an hour or two.

I got 60 hours out of Dishonored before I got bored of it. That was three different playthroughs. Hitman gave me 30 before I became fed up of it. I don't think FC3 will keep me entertained for as long as Dishonored did, either...

Fion wrote on Dec 9, 2012, 15:45:Far Cry 3 isn't all its cracked up to be either Tech. It's not bad, just not all that good IMHO. However there is good news. Dishonored is fantastic.

For 3 hours.

If you insist on playing it like quake 3.

Otherwise, no. I explored everything and had 20+ hours.

I've been playing for four hours and I'm still in chapter 1. Reloading a lot to find more exquisite ways to kill people, though. One of my favorites so far is letting a guard chase me, lead him to a rat pack, then blink past it so he runs right into them.

Edit : I'm not sure why people say Dishonored is a bad game, because it's most definitely not a bad game. However, I can sort of see why people might get a dislike to it early on. The very first mission (escape from prison) is just utter crap, and then you come across your 'hideout' (I assume) for the first time after, and it's boring, and I can see why people would take a dislike to the game. I actually kept going back to other games rather than continuing. Finally decided to give it another go, met the outsider, got some powers, got into a much better level (the overseer one) and now I'm having a ton of fun.

She is a zombie nut - she has got 1100 hours logged in Left 4 Dead 2, is always playing Killing Floor, and loves DayZ. She is also a big Half Life fan - she has played and replayed all of the Half Life games, episodes and expansions many times. She was on a kick with action RPG's for a while but now it seems to be largely FPS's that she is interested in. She asked me for Borderlands 2 for Christmas - she played the first one for hundreds of hours. What kind of a father would I be to not oblige?